On February 13, 2012, the first launch of new European launch vehicle Vega, with Yuzhnoye SDO-developed and PA Yuzhmash-manufactured main engine on the upper stage, was made from the Kuru launch base, French Guiana. The engine operated successfully according to the planned timeline. The rocket executed flight program in full: spacecrafts LARES, ALMASat-1 (Italy) and seven microsatellites CubeSat (USA) were placed into target orbits. It is a significant scientific-and-technical contribution to cooperation between the Ukraine and European Community. Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash demonstrated once again a high level of their developments and the competitive edge of their products in the international space market.